Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute Receives Award of Excellence from Health Care Weekly Review

DETROIT, June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute was selected the winner of the 2010 Award of Excellence in the Specialty Hospitals category by Health Care Weekly Review.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20071106/KARMANOSLOGO)

For the fourth consecutive year, Health Care Weekly Review has recognized Michigan's heath care institutions annually for the Award of Excellence in four categories: Full Service Hospitals; Specialty Hospitals; Nursing/Medical Schools; and Excellent Administrators. The awards are sponsored by the Michigan State Medical Society.

Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Karmanos recently accepted the award from Mark W. Spiess, publisher of Health Care Weekly Review.

"We're extremely pleased to win this prestigious award from Health Care Weekly Review," said Dr. Bepler. "People in metro Detroit have many options when it comes to receiving cancer care. Karmanos strives to be the preeminent center for the best cancer care in the region, as well as one of the top cancer centers in the nation. This award is a wonderful acknowledgement of our efforts."

Karmanos has set itself apart as a specialty hospital because of its exceptional, specialized medical team who only treat cancer – all forms of cancer.

Dr. Bepler added, "Each year, Karmanos cares for nearly 6,000 new patients looking for hope in what is arguably the scariest time of their lives. Each patient not only meets with a team of the best cancer-fighting medical professionals, they benefit from the ground-breaking cancer research that takes place every day at Karmanos."

Reasons that distinguish Karmanos for Heath Care Weekly Review's Award of Excellence in the Specialty Hospitals category include:

• Karmanos is one of only 40 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States and is the only hospital in Michigan solely dedicated to fighting cancer.
• Karmanos has been ranked most preferred hospital for cancer care in southeast Michigan for four consecutive years, according to the National Research Corporation.
• Patients who come to Karmanos have access to approximately 100 cancer-fighting therapies they cannot find anywhere else in Michigan. These new drugs provide hope to patients who have exhausted other treatment avenues by giving them the opportunity to take part in clinical trials that pave the way to future cancer treatments.
• Karmanos' Phase I Clinical Trials Program is one of only 14 NCI-funded Phase I programs in the United States and Canada and the only program of its kind in Michigan.
• Karmanos researchers continue to take a proactive approach in closing the gap on cancer care disparities in metro Detroit with the formation of the Southeast Michigan Partners Against Cancer (SEMPAC), a partnership between the Karmanos Cancer Institute, the Josephine Ford Cancer Center at Henry Ford Health System, and Wayne State University School of Medicine. 
• Karmanos physicians provide patients many options to fighting cancer, including traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapies, immunotherapy, cryotherapy, microwave ablation, the minimally-invasive da Vinci Surgical Si System® and photon radiotherapy. Karmanos researchers are also establishing some of the most exclusive and innovative therapies in the world to treat cancer, including a potentially ground-breaking immunotherapy treatment for women with highly-aggressive, triple-negative breast cancer.

"Health Care Weekly Review is proud to present our Award of Excellence to the Karmanos Cancer Institute," said Spiess. "When it comes to fighting cancer, Karmanos has set the bar extremely high in the areas of research, treatment and patient care. We are very fortunate to have them right in our own backyard."

For more information on cancer services call 1-800-KARMANOS (1-800-527-6266) or go to www.karmanos.org.

About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute

Located in mid-town Detroit, Michigan, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of 40 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Caring for nearly 6,000 new patients annually on a budget of $216 million, conducting more than 700 cancer-specific scientific investigation programs and clinical trials, Karmanos is among the nation's best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 physicians and researchers on faculty at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, and supported by thousands of volunteer and financial donors, Karmanos strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. Its long-term partnership with the WSU School of Medicine enhances the collaboration of critical research and academics related to cancer care. Karmanos is southeastern Michigan's most preferred hospital for cancer care according to annual surveys conducted by the National Research Corporation. Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., is the Institute's president and chief executive officer. For more information call 1-800-KARMANOS or go to www.karmanos.org.

SOURCE Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute